Star Wars: The Jungle of Shadows
by GreenMonkey18
Summary: Luke has well since passed, leaving his son Ben Skywalker as Grand Master of the Jedi Order. Between keeping track of all his Jedi and battling the newest Chancellor in a political struggle, his every day seems to be full of nothing but stress. However, when a distress signal arrives from Kashyyyk, he must travel and face a darkness there that may be the end of him.


Ben was just getting used to being the new Grand Master of the Jedi Order. With his father's passing not even 5 years ago he had been placed into this position and given control over all the Jedi that now traveled the Galaxy. This was a more painful task because of the Republic's law that each Jedi must be accounted for at all times. Keeping track of each Jedi's individual journey was becoming a task that Ben would rather not do. Right as Ben was ending his holocom with Jedi Master To' Plun, his wife, Andarie walked into the room, carrying his newly born son, Anakin, named justly after his grandfather, whom, even though he had fallen to the dark side, had, in the end, come back to the light that his son, and now his grandson, followed. Ben kissed his wife and son, before excusing himself from the room to go to the Temple and finish up the last two things on his list for the day.

As soon as he got into his speeder, he began to reminisce over times spent with his father, learning how to drive a speeder, an X-Wing, his father's favorite, and learning from Uncle Han how to fly the Millennium Falcon, just in case, as he would always say, one of his own children didn't treat her right. He reached the temple and began to walk down the familiar corridors. He had been raised here. His mother, Mara Jade Skywalker, had been as devout a follower of the light side of the force as his father. They had been a great pair, many of his fellow Jedi had told him as he grew up. Until, that is, his cousin Jacen had killed his mother in some twisted ritual to become a Sith. He couldn't forgive his cousin, to this day, for that crime. He probably never would, but was able to not dwell on this fact. He greeted his fellow Jedi while he walked down the halls to his chamber, the chamber that had been his father's before him.

"Good morning, Grand Master Ben Skywalker.", Master Kaer' Ta spoke.

"Please Kaer, you are one of my closest friends, titles hold no meaning here in our own temple.", Ben replied, hoping that all his fellow Jedi would stop referring to him as the Grand Master, and just call him Ben again.

"As you wish, my friend. However, I must ask why you are here instead of home with your lovely wife and child.", Kaer' Ta asked.

Ben himself wondered this question every time he came to the temple. This place was his original home, for this is where he had been raised, but he now had a new home, where he himself would raise a family, and, he hoped, endow his children with the same love, compassion, and teachings his own parents had bestowed upon him. If only his father was still here to guide him.

"Unfortunately there is business I must attend to as the Grand Master, however, as soon as I complete this, that is exactly where I shall return.", Ben replied, knowing all too well that his friend had caught his resentment at the Republic's newest law. If only he had been able to see Jacen's descent into the darkness. If only he had been able to comfort his cousin and deter him from this path, maybe things would be different, maybe his mother would still be here, maybe he wouldn't have this resentment towards his cousin that made him, not only hate his cousin for what he had done, but also hate himself for not catching it sooner.

He pushed these dark thoughts from his head and returned to the matter at hand.

"What news do you bring from our temple on Kashyyyk?", Ben asked, ready to wrap up the last of his duties before rejoining his family.

"I cannot truthfully say for sure. The last transmission I received from them was a week ago, and they have not checked in since. However, I have sent my pupil, Arien, to check in on them and will hear from him within the next few days." Kaer' Ta replied to Ben's question.

This news unsettled Ben. For as long as he had known, the Jedi on Kashyyyk always made sure to check in on a daily basis, seeing as they were on the most dangerous planet within the Republic-controlled space. He was reminded of his father's last visit to the planet, wherein his father had finally slain the last of the Sith, who had been rebuilding Darth Sidious' Empire. The planet had much power in the Light, but was also bathed in darkness as well. Only the strongest of Masters were sent to Kashyyyk for this reason. If they weren't answering, something was amiss, and that could not be a good thing.

"I will wait three days for a message Kaer. After that I'm going to take a handful of masters to make sure nothing is amiss." Ben replied, ignoring his feeling that he should go now and not wait another second for a reply.

"As you wish. I shall return post-haste if I receive any holo-com feed.", Kaer replied. Ben slowly turned in his chair to look at his holo-screen to finish the last report to the new Chancellor. Chancellor Sarae was a batty old broad, one that might have even matched wits with Palpatine in his prime, if the holocrons were to be believed, who wanted the Jedi completely under her control. This, however, did not agree with what Ben had been taught by his father. Thus, whenever she began to try something, Ben would have to deal with it swiftly, or risk greater headaches than what she already caused on a daily basis.

"I see that everything is in order, but Kashyyyk." Sarae said as soon as she became visible on the holo-image.

"Yes, we are having troubles reaching them at this time, but I shall have a report for you within three days." Ben replied, holding back all the anger he felt towards this woman.

"You better, or I'll make sure to bring this up in the Senate again. You wouldn't want that now would you?", Sarae said as she smiled wickedly.

"No, I will make sure that this is seen to immediately.", Ben spoke, trying to control his anger. He ended the call and calmed himself before exiting the Grand Master's chambers.

"Kaer I'm going to go spend time with my family. Take care of everything here for me will you?", Ben asked, feeling exhausted, even though it had only been five hours since he had left his house. He got onto his speeder and traced the familiar path back to his house, the same house he had bought to escape his father and the Temple. How he wished his father was here. He would have known how to handle Sarae, how to deal with this problem on Kashyyyk. Now it fell on Ben to be his father, a prospect he had never wanted to fill.


End file.
